The Thompson family also started a GoFundMe for the sad but necessary task of planning Jacob's funeral. The campaign had the side effect of alerting people to the boy's situation, and soon cards and donations began to pour in.

Jacob has received over 66,000 cards. His family's fundraiser has also surpassed $150,000.

The boy was diagnosed with neuroblastoma when he was five years old. Other efforts to lift his spirits have included a visit with his favourite animal: the penguin.

The Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut arranged for two of their African penguins to take a trip to Maine along with a bag of "penguin swag," the Portland Press Herald reported.

Jacob got to hang out with and pet the aquatic birds for around an hour.

"[Jacob] was definitely excited. He scrunched up his nose, which we were told was a sign that he likes something," Dale Wolbrink, the aquarium's spokesperson, said. "It was one of those things that we don't want to have to do, but which was as meaningful for us as it was for his parents and family."

Jacob wants people to "live like a penguin" and be "be friendly, stand by each other, go the extra mile, jump into life and be cool," according to Good Housekeeping.

His family has thanked the public for their support. They posted an update on Jacob's GoFundMe page recently, letting people know that they had celebrated a family Thanksgiving together and would be paying all the love forward to the children's cancer community.